whitejamest

Well, it's been a little while - just over a year since I updated this log. It was not my favorite year. There was a lot of difficulty and loss, as for so many people. My model making mojo was at a low ebb, and I just couldn't manage to work on projects. But I am slowly getting back into the swing of things. Eventually, far down the line when the Speedy is finished, I would like to display it with a boat right up alongside, because that does so much to give a sense of scale. To that end I purchased the 22 foot yawl kit from Vanguard Models, and I decided that working on that boat now would be a good way to get moving again. A lot of people have included these little kits in their larger build logs, so I imagine these are already pretty familiar to many. They are small and fiddly, but they look well designed for what they are, and I've seen great results from others' efforts. So I'll give it a try. The entirety of the kit: 1 laser cut mdf sheet, 3 pear and 1 brass. I decided to replace the pear wood planking with basswood, just because I like the lighter color and it will go with the choices I've made for Speedy better. Here the mdf bulkheads are laid out on the base, but not yet fixed with glue. The two pear wood bulkheads are not pictured. Next, the pear wood keel is slotted into place, and glue is brushed into the joints. Note the reinforcements pieces by the bow. There are a couple smaller ones at the stern that can't be made out in this photo. Then the bulkheads are fared to allow the planking to lie flush against them. I joined the club of broken stems at this step, as many have before me. The wood is very thin here around the slot, and I was clumsy. But it was easy enough to just superglue the piece back in place and saturate the area with a little glue. Since I will be painting the entire outside I am not too worried about blemishes. Here I have laid on most of the basswood planking. I followed the practice in the Speedy manual, tapering the planks toward the bow. I did a somewhat rough job, but again I think it won't be too apparent once the hull is painted. And with a good amount of sanding and the application of some filler, we're looking a lot smoother. I used "GoodFilla" brand filler. It was harder than expected, but I think that was actually an asset. You can get a nice strong, smooth finish. Once the planking is all installed and sanded and filled, the model is removed from the base. Then the frames are broken away. They came off more easily than I had feared. I had been worried because basswood is on the softer side, and I wasn't sure how tightly the super glue would grip it. You can see the bottoms of the frames are meant to remain in place. One of them came out entirely, but that shouldn't be a problem. The small amount of filler pushed up through the gaps in the planks will be hidden under the brass deck pieces. The top of the 2nd to last frame, in pear wood, has subsequently been removed. (The two pear wood bulkheads will be painted red on the inside). Now I am sanding the interior a bit, and then I will rub it down with some wipe on poly and start attaching the simulated frames. Thanks for looking. - James

Wow, that's a fantastic addition for the finished display. A really nice touch.

Hm, interesting idea regarding the hair tongs. I will give that a try. I look forward to explaining to my wife what I am doing raiding her hair accessories....

The colors look great, she'll be a beauty.

Very neat, crisp work. She is looking lovely.

That's lovely. Well sculpted 1/64 crew figures are something I wish were much more available. Glad you are adding some.

It would be nice if you could add a laser cut mini-kit addon that, when you assemble it, patiently and persuasively explains to my wife why she needs to clear more shelf space for me to fit this model into our apartment. I think there would be a good market for it.

To add to what Gregory says, I'd recommend sealing the wood first with wipe on poly or the like. Then sandpaper will be all the more effective at removing fuzz.

Not many models would bear up so well under such an extreme closeup! Very nicely done.

Lovely work, and great tips. I am taking notes. I suspect we in northern New Jersey have nothing to complain about compared to folks up in Ontario!

Very nicely done. I always assumed that the battens were there to give the sailors something to dig their heels in against as the ship was rolling around on a rough sea - since the motion would be even greater up there in the tops. But I have no idea if that is really the case....

Looking very sharp. What material did you use for the wooldings?

Interesting, I am a ways away from starting the copper on my own Speedy, and have no idea how I will handle the challenges of making the rows of plates fit the curves. But the adhesive copper tape looks great, very neat and tidy, so I don't think your model has suffered at all by the substitution. Will you keep the shiny new look or aim to weather it?

A lovely and well executed upgrade.

It sounds like a very interesting project TBlack. I'm a big fan of the books, and look forward to seeing your progress. You certainly have your work cut out for you though. Vincejo looks to have been a significantly larger brig than the historical Speedy, with very different lines. I almost wonder if you would have more luck modifying a kit like HMS Fly.

Nice work on the transom. I like the effect of the cover slips. Hard to beat glass for replicating the translucency of glass. I'll have to remember the tungsten-carbide scribe pen, I've not seen those before. What chemical will you use on the micro applicators to clean the glass?

Nice neat work on the inner bulwarks, and I like the weathered look on the deck.

Looks like it's coming along very nicely. I'll be curious to see how the microscope cover slips come out.

I like the coloring on the deck, it seems realistic and still attractive.

Very crisp tidy work on the lines and blocks. Shaping up beautifully.

Okay, that's pretty fantastic. Especially the fact that you made the rope yourself at Chatham!

Great progress on a fascinating kit. But I have to ask - is there a large scale carronade in the background of the second photo?!

Thanks very much Gregory and Derek, I appreciate the comments. And thanks for the likes guys.

Wow, I guess I just assumed it was airbrushed because the finish was so nice. Even better.

That is some extremely neat, crisp water lining. I would be terrified to bring an airbrush near the model, but your results look impeccable.